Enrile: Magulo ang inyong
articles of impeachment

LEAD DEFENSE counsel Serafin Cuevas started it off by questioning some of the rules of impeachment that he said hobbled defense lawyers, but it ended with prosecution lawyers earning the ire of  Presiding Officer Juan Ponce Enrile.

Cuevas had questioned some of the rules of the impeachment court that he said prevented defense lawyers from objecting to some of the questions propounded by some of the Senator-Judges. Defense lawyers had repeatedly criticized some Senator-Judges for allegedly acting as supporting lawyers for the prosecution.

However, in addressing the concerns of Cuevas, Enrile ended up berating prosecutors for what he was a poorly crafted set of articles of impeachment.

Enrile apparently took offense to a statement by prosecutor Rodolfo Farinas that the House of Representatives was acting as a grand jury, and its findings were as good as valid.

“Ibig mo sabihin kahit one-third ng Kongreso ang pumirma, pupulutin nyo nalang sa hangin ang articles of impeachment na wala kayong batayan?” Enrile shot back.

“Magulo ang inyong articles of impeachment kaya nahihirapan kami kung saan namin papasyahan ang mga ebidensyang pinapasok ninyo,” he added.

“Pagdating sa articles 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, halo halo na ang mga alegasyon ninyo,” Enrile said. “Pag binuksan ninyo yan, makikita natin ang mga kamalian.”